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St. Matthew's Church was built in the Gothic style in 1835-37, to the designs of Charles Baker of Painswick. It is quite a large church, and was built to serve the growing population of the district. Inside, six-bay arcades are supported elegant Gothic cast-iron columns, which originally supported galleries.
The east end was rebuilt in 1897-98, by Walter Planck, an Arts-and-Crafts architect. This was intended to be the first stage of a general rebuilding, but when this was abandoned, most of the windows in the rest of the church were replaced, to give it a more fashionable appearance.
The large parish hall attached to the north-west corner of the church was built in 1995-96, by David Barnes of the Ronald Edwards Partnership. It replaces a wooden building near Ebley Mill.
The Rev. John Unwins was vicar from 1841 to 1893, and was responsible for starting the village school (built in 1877 and now sheltered housing) and the Cainscross Benefit Society, which operated from 1852 to 1935.
From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
History Society
Revised 2018 EMW
